Borderlands AU: The fall of Helios
by Lostopium
Summary: After the fall of Helios, Rhys is rescued by a mysterious masked man.


p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"The fall of Helios had not gone unnoticed. Smoking debris could be seen far and wide, and had attracted all manner of people. Curious onlookers, thieves and worse, cannibals./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Rhys, sprawled face-down and motionless on the floor, opened his right eye. His shoulder was in horrible pain. In fact, his whole body ached. He wanted to get up, to get away from this place but he was exhausted. On top of that, it would be even harder to defend himself with only one arm. His prosthesic arm was still skewered through and pinned by the iron bar he had narrowly avoided when Jack tried to kill him. A tear began to roll down his cheek. How would he get out? Was it even possible to get by in his current state?/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"The sound of footsteps caught the young man's attention. He slowly turned his head up to look at the stranger who had crouched before him. The red glowing eye of a one-eyed mask stared at him, in silence. Rhys flinched when he saw the gloved hand approaching his face. His heart was racing and his head was throbbing. Suddenly, everything went black again./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"_/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"The company man slowly awoke from a dreamless sleep. While trying to straighten his stiffened neck, he noticed, without even opening his eyes, he was laying in a bed. Yes, a safe, comfortable bed, with a soft pillow, a warm blanket and a good mattress that relieved his aching back./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Rhys did not open his eyes right away. Doing so risked the chance of it all just being a cruel dream, and he wanted to enjoy this moment a little bit longer. He wondered, for a moment, if this whole adventure had been a dream he had just woken up. Gortys, Sasha, and Fiona, the fall of Helios… Was any of that real at all? There was only one way to be sure. He opened his eyes./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"The ceiling above seemed lower than his bedroom than usual, perhaps an optical illusion due to low visibility in the dimly lit room. Probably, but shelves beside the bed wasn't familiar at all. Also, the small kitchen on the other side of the room on his left made it pretty evident that this room was definitely not his./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Urh… where the fuck am…?"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"A soft moan startled him and he held his breath, still and silent. He looked to his right and noticed for the first time, there was a man curled up and sleeping in the bed beside him./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Who was he? The company man wondered for a moment if he was the same man in the mask he had seen before fainting. It was not impossible that he was the same person, after all, as the sleeping man seemed to be the same size and was wearing the same purple tee shirt. His face was now unmasked, but his hands on the pillow blocked the young man's view to better identify him. However, observing his features, Rhys found him strangely familiar. Did he know him? Maybe if he could see the face completely, he would recognize this person./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Rhys tried to lean towards the sleeper, but he immediately had to hold back a groan, feeling pain where the mechanical arm should have been. He looked down at his shoulder and saw that not only someone had taken his jacket and shirt off, but he'd also that been treated and bandaged. He placed his remaining hand on his face and felt gauze over his left eye. The young man turned his head back towards the other. Still asleep. Was he the one who treated him? Had he saved him? It made him even more determined to figure out his identity./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Rhys fought to ignore the pain as much as he could as he leaned over a second time. His fingers moved carefully to brush away the lock of red hair that was delicately covering the forehead of his potential rescuer. Doing so revealed the top of a large, distinguishing scar that disfigured the sleeper. He had a strange feeling he knew this face, however, he could not, was at a loss for a name to put with it. Who was…?/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"The injured man's eye went wide as saucers in sudden realization. He let out a small scream that he mentally kicked himself over and pinned his hand over his mouth in an attempt to cover his mistake. Unfortunately, he was too slow and noise woke up what appeared to be his worst nightmare./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"The other man had opened his eyes. "You're already awake, sweetie?" He said with a yawn before stretching and moving his hair back in place. He looked at the younger man with a tired look and then he smiled, amused. "Do I scare you?"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Rhys wanted to shake his head but fear and anguish kept him frozen in place. Jack was standing before him. Alive. Altered, but alive. He stared at him in horror, and after a moment, he stammered, "I-I… you… you should be dead! I-I… I killed you! You… You can't…!"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Ssshhh shh, calm down." The other said softly, laying his hand on the arm of the company man. "Don't worry, I'm not who you think I am."/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Calm down!? That's easy for him to say! Does it was another one of Jack's tricks? The young man immediately pushed him away with his trembling hand. He was terrified and furious at Jack./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Don't come near me, asshole! I have nothing more to do with you, Jack!" he shouted./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"The redhead slowly pulled away from him and looked down, terribly hurt and saddened by the other's words. He looked like he had just been slapped. Ashamed, he started to speak. "I…"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Heavy footsteps approached them, accompanied by clanking and a booming voice thundered. "Call him again by that name and I'll shove your head into the wall, kid!"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Rhys jumped, startled, and turned around to face a colossus made of flesh and iron. He uttered another shriek and just crawled back behind the man with the purple t-shirt. However afraid of this guy he might be, he could not take his eyes off from the angry, bearded face. The man was wearing an eye patch, from which came two long scars etching up and down on his forehead and cheek, and his long gray hair had been tied in a catogan. He looked a little like an old pirate. A very pissed off, old pirate./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Will…" the redhead murmured. "It's not his fault, you know… it's… it's a somewhat normal reaction, right? W-well… you also had thought-"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""I don't give a shit! He don't have to insult you more!" growled the cyborg./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""…Euuuuuh AHEM!" Rhys intervened "C-could one of you explain to me what's going on here? Because I'm… Heh I'm a little lost and uh… hm… "/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"The other two looked at each other a moment and then the one who was call 'Wilh' grumbled, crossed his arms and went back from where he came from. The young man then turned towards the one in purple tee shirt, waiting for the explanations he had requested./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""My name is Timothy." He said, instinctively stroking his hair shaved at the back and sides of his head. Then he looked up at the company man./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Rhys noted that the scar that ran over "Jack's" face was shaped like the Vault symbol he had seen so many times. The mark had dug into his skin and damaged his left eye as if he were branded with something very hot. He remembered this rumor going around about Jack, how he was hiding a terrible scar under his mask. Indeed, this scar was rather ugly, but the man himself was still, despite his scarring… rather cute./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""You want to know where it comes from, huh?" The redhead asked while motioning towards his own face. Rhys nodded shyly, thinking it rude to ask, but if he was offering, well, that was a different story. "You must surely wonder why I look so much like Jack if I'm not him. Well… I was one of his first doubles. I worked for Jack for 20 years. I ran a lot of small errands for him. Then, I was sent on Elpis, where I saw the Vault, and fought the Sentinel. I saw the beginnings of Opportunity… But I also saw Jack's madness starting to grow. You see… I would still have my old face at the end of my contract if Jack had not disfigured me. Some might say I shouldn't have disobeyed him or attempted to run away, and that I deserve what happened to me. After our victory against the Eridians, Jack… has become more violent, more…"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Timothy sighed./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""So… it was him who gave you this scar?" Asked the young man./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""He wanted me to look like him. A mirror reflection of himself. And since he was disfigured in the Vault… He couldn't very well let his double go without suffering the same as him, so he destroyed my face like his had been…" The redhead smiled "But I got used to it now! So if I hide my face, it's only because I look like Jack, which can be inconvenient here, you know?" he said with a smile to Rhys. "It's not because I am ashamed of this injury! Wilhelm even says it suits me!"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Well, you're pretty handsome…! Even with, uh… wait! Wilhelm?! Like… THE Wilhelm!"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Timothy laughed softly and approached Rhys, stroking his cheek./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Yes, yes, that Wilhelm. He's a little scary, huh? But don't worry. Deep down, he's a very nice person. I've lost track of all the times he protected me, helped me, or even healed me when we were on Elpis. "/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Rhys raised his eyebrows, surprised by this revelation. He leaned forward curiously, peeking through the shelves at the colossus busy feeding a strange-looking creature. It was hard to imagine this hardened killer as someone's protector. He then brought his attention back to the other man. "I think I've met another double… I was in front of the coffee machine and-"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""And you pushed me," Timothy grinned, amused. "Then you made a funny face because you thought I was actually Jack, right?"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""It was you?!"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Small world, isn't it?"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"The young man began to blush. He had felt so embarrassed during this first meeting thinking he was Jack and now it turns out he had already made the same mistake before. Fortunately, Timothy did not seem to blame him or harbor any hard feelings over it. He decided to take advantage of his situation and learn more./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"The redhead ran his fingers through his hair again, pushing it back in place, oblivious to how the innocent motion made him look even more attractive. "Well… We saw Helios fall. It was pretty impressive! First, we were rather curious and then Will and I looked at each other and then we totally rushed out to go!" He laughed at the memory. "We thought we might find something useful in the rubble so we searched every corner of the station. Then I found you there, lying on the ground. You were a mess so… I asked Will to help me to bring you home."/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""You… you had recognized me or…?"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Yes, I did recognize you! That's why I didn't hesitate to rescue you!"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Timothy smiled and started petting the wounded man's hair. Rhys blushed even more and offered a shy smile in return. He felt the eyes of Jack's former double resting on his bandaged shoulder when something crossed his mind. "You said you were scavenging supplies from the remains of Helios, right?"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""I already know what you're thinking, sweetheart. Don't worry, we got enough stuff to make new prosthetics for both of you! "/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Both of us?"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Yeah! Wilhelm needs to improve his prosthetics. He may be a genius manufacturing robots and stuff like that, but he can't do quality work with scrap metal limbs falling apart."/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"The company man hesitated a moment before offering. "I'm not too bad at this. I'm used to fix my own cybernetic prosthetics! I've lived with this for a while, so… I might be able to help you!"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""We'll definitely need more than four hands for all these prosthetics, so I accept your help! Wilhelm will surely grumble about it, but I'm sure he will be happy to work on it with an expert!" Timothy assured him, patting his cheek in a friendly manner. "Anyway, if you don't mind, we'll talk more about this tomorrow. I'm really exhausted and it's imperative I get a good night's sleep! And you too, Rhysie, you need rest your body!"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Is it late? I didn't realize…"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Well… 3 am, yes!" The redhead laughed at the stunned face of the younger man. "Don't make this face, sweetie! Let's get to bed now. Tomorrow we have a lot of work to do, and you have a story to tell us. "/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""H-huh? A story?"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Yep!" The former double removed his tee shirt and pants before settling comfortably under the blanket. "About how you came here… all of that stuff."/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Rhys nodded, but right now all he could think about was the naked chest of the false Jack. He even found himself wondering if he would one day have the opportunity to count each scar that covered his body. This man was definitely too good-looking for Rhys' own good./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"He slipped back into bed and closed his eyes, however, sleep did not come right away. His head was full of questions, memories and forebodings. He turned his head toward the sleeping face of Timothy and stared at him for a moment. He looked so peaceful. It made him feel secure and relaxed. Looking into that contented, scared face, he eventually drifted off and joined its owner in the realm of dreams./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"_/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"It had been two full days since Wilhelm, Timothy and Rhys were working on the two cyborgs prosthetics, and nightfall found the Colossus forcing the others to go to bed early. The youngest did not protest but Timothy, as usual, wanted to keep working./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"The company man sat on the bed and unbuttoned his shirt. He fiddled momentarily with the bandages covering his chest and his shoulder before grabbing the shirt that Timothy had lent him to sleep in./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Eventually, the other two joined him. Wilhelm sat on the edge of the bed and, in his usual bedtime routine, and started removing his prosthetics. The young man had been rather intrigued the first time he had seen him doing it. The redhaired false Jack had explained to him that his old cyborg had decided since day one with the new limbs to remove them at night to prevent anybody (or the prosthetics) from getting hurt while he slept./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"The legs and the arm made a typical metallic clunk when it was placed on the floor. As the lights went out, everyone slipped into the bed on their side before closing their eyes./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"But Rhys couldn't fall asleep. Again. Something was bothering him./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"An hour had passed. He sighed and turned around. He opened one eye and stared for what felt like hours at Timothy's bare back. He felt cold and empty watching him there. He was not sure why, but he was… sad./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"He scooted closer to the redhead and placed his forehead against his back. His moment of private comfort was shattered when he felt Tim move a little. Apparently, he was not getting any sleep either./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Rhys?" His soft voice broke the silence./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Hm?"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""You're not asleep?"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""No…"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Is there something wrong, sweetheart?"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Rhys did not answer. Yes, something was wrong. His hand timidly slid up to hold onto the hip of the former double. Should he tell him what he had in mind?/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Rhys? Everything okay?" Timothy asked, worried./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Everything's fine," answered Rhys, "It's just… You look so much like him, and yet… you're nothing like him at all. Jack was my idol, my role-model. I wanted to follow his footsteps and become a hero like him… But… it's by living with him that I realized… I was wrong. I was so wrong. He's the worst asshole ever! He's selfish, narcissistic, he harassed me and… and on top of that, he was a murderer. Like… He could kill people only because it could make his life a little easier… And then I see you… and you're… you're so…"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Innocent? Adorable? Peaceful? Harmless? You're not the first to tell me that Rhysie."/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Timothy turned around to face the younger and stroked his face gently. "I know that living alongside Jack was not easy… Wilhelm and I… We experienced that too… And I know it's even more terrible when we're not on his side. You were very brave, Rhys. I myself wouldn't have dared to do what you did. You're a hero Rhys, even without being Jack. "/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""I would have preferred you to be… the real Jack… a good Jack…" The redhead felt flattered and thanked him with a kiss on the forehead. The companyman blushed and shuddered from the touch of those soft lips. It felt great. He looked at him and confessed, "I never thought that one day Jack would want to kill me… He lied to me and manipulated me, psychologically and physically… I… I feel so betrayed…"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Ssshhh… tell yourself… just tell yourself that you survived it." He gently stroked the hair of his protégé reassuringly. "You're free of him, sweetie! You're stronger than him! Even Wilhelm did not do as well as you, and he is…well, he is one of the most dangerous men on the planet! See? You really did well, Rhys! Imagine… if… if I didn't escaped… If I had not been there… Wilhelm would have died because of Jack. So can you see how strong you are, honey?"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""What happened with Wilhelm?" Rhys dared to ask as we was, in fact, really surprised that the old cyborg had not killed Jack if he was supposed to be so dangerous./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Wilhelm has also been manipulated by Jack. Well, I have to say it was not so hard to make him follow orders. You only had to promise him money and he will do anything you asked him. Wilh became a machine. A dog obeying each of Jack's orders… He had become a real asshole…" He lost himself in his thoughts for a moment, his hand absentmindedly stroking Rhys' hair as he spoke. The boy was listening to him, happy to feel someone touching him so gently and non-threateningly for once. "One day, Jack planned to set a trap for the Vault hunters, by distracting them and catching them off-guard after a great victory… So he poisoned Wilh to weaken him and sent him to fight them. It was suicide mission, but Wilh accepted… He agreed to die for this motherfucker. But I saved him. I was only aware of some of the details of his plan and asked the Vault hunters to spare him and bring him back to me."/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"Rhys could only imagine Wilhelm as a bloodthirsty monster, only obeying his master. He knew that the colossus needed cybernetics to survive his defective body. However, was it really smart to thank his benefactor by committing suicide for him? The young man had flatly refused Jack's 'offer'. So why the hell didn't Wilhelm refuse it too?/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Wilhelm was really ready to let himself die for Jack? I-I, well… I don't know, i-it seems, rather…"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""As I told you, Jack manipulated him for a long time… He could not refuse."/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""But he was completely on Jack's side! You even said so yourself that he had become a real asshole! So why… why did you saved him?"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;""Would you let the person you love die?"/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"With that, the old cyborg rolled over and embraced Timothy with his arm before growling, "you both make too much noise."/p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"The redhead gently squeezed the arm against him "Sorry, darling, we're gonna go to sleep, I promise!" And then he gave a teasing glance at Rhys and, with his free hand, he entwined their fingers together. The younger man felt an overwhelming heat in his face while his own fingers were timidly closing on the other's hand. He did not know exactly what this gesture meant, but he felt reassured, and safe./p  
p style="color: #444444; font-family: Gibson, sans-serif, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"He saw Wilhelm gently kissing the neck of his lover. It was hard to imagine someone as smart and friendly as Timothy with that brute, but he could not really blame them. They were both rather attractive. He envied them. Or maybe he just envied Wilhelm, he wasn't sure. In any case, exhaustion finally claimed him and drew Rhys in a deep sleep, leaving the two lover next to him with some well-deserved privacy as well as a nice view./p 


End file.
